Absolute Sword: Zekken
by OverratedPendragon
Summary: "Peace comes at a price," she hissed. "It can only be bought with the blood of those strong enough to fight for it." A demon has lived inside the palace, slowly driving the Empire towards destruction while feeding on it's weakness. From the shadows, a band of assassins prey on his kin in the name of peace. In this world of lies, truth can only be found at the sharp edge of a blade.
1. The world around me

**Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill.**

 **This is a story about the wonderfully brutal world of Akame ga Kill with more elements added to make it more interesting. I wanted to write my own versions of the fascinating people that live in this deliciously unforgiving world, so I came up with this.**

 **There will be blood, death, violence, sexual content (although with the new rules I might skip over that), and a ton of badassery from the people you know and love.**

 **You're going to see assassins who hide their faces and are like shadows in the night, not just cool characters who kill people. There will be political intrigue, scenes where you go deep inside the heart of the corrupt empire, poisons, betrayals, grief, pain, happiness, and all the strife you'd expect professional assassins with supernatural abilities to go through in their oh so short lives.**

 **I'm also going to do my best add something that many people in the series seem to lack: COMMON SENSE**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Everyone has a dream. At some point in their lives, no matter who they are, every person has a goal they strive for. Something to give them a sense of purpose. Whether it is to become a king or simply to start a family, humans are driven by an instinctual need to achieve something that gives their lives meaning._

 _However, there is something every person must have in order to do so._

 _Power. Strength. Might._

 _Without strength, one cannot accomplish anything. Might controls everything, and without strength we can accomplish nothing, much less protect ourselves. The world is a cruel place; it is filled with dangerous beasts that lurk in places we do not belong. We are constantly under threat by storms, droughts, and earthquakes that leave us at the earth's mercy, and the most vile, the most cruel and terrifying creatures of all infest the land like a terminal disease._

 _I do not speak of insects. Nor do I mean rats, or any other kind of pest. I speak of humans._

 _They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. yet it is what lies inside that is to be feared. There are all sorts of danger beasts in this world. They take monstrous shapes, and they slaughter and destroy everything that is unfortunate enough to cross their paths; yet humans are just as capable of savagery as danger beasts, perhaps even more so. For it is humans who destroy, and kill, and steal, and rape, and commit all kinds of atrocities towards their fellow man._

 _We try to hide our instincts from each other. We dress up in clothes and build cities, we create marvelous structures so we can spend countless hours bragging about our superiority. However, when everything comes crashing down, our instincts come out in full force, and our true selves are revealed._

 _That is when power is most important. It is in our worst moments that we learn who we really are. That we are cowards is the most common, and least admitted reality. So many will not hesitate to turn on their allies, their friends and families, simply so they can prolong their worthless lives, It is those with the strength of character to stand up and put others before themselves that are the most powerful of us. With individuals like that, our glorious empire cannot help but grow more prosperous._

 _Signed Captain Budo, Empirial Year 1006_

* * *

The reader gently snapped the book shut. The quiet clap as the leather bound pages clashed echoed in his ears as he slowly pushed his chair back and rose from the desk. He took extreme care to be quiet as he made his way over to the bookshelf against the left wall so as to not wake anyone.

He slid the novel back into it's place on the shelf and slowly returned to the desk he had been using. He returned the chair to it's original position under the table and extinguished the candle. He blinked when darkness overtook the room; the sudden loss of light forcing him to keep still as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

A wave of drowsiness overcame him, causing his eyelids to suddenly drop. Stifling a yawn, the figure groaned internally, impatient for his eyes to become used to the shadows. Eventually, the overwhelming blackness slowly morphed until he could see the blurred shapes of his companion's beds. The figure trudged towards his bed located next to the far wall as silently as possible.

It was annoying to have to spend so much energy on being quiet when the bed was so tantalizingly close ,yet the figure was used to it by now. It was his own fault for staying up so late reading. It was a bad habit of his, he mused. He had always enjoyed reading the books his mother was able to get him, and as he had gotten older, he had read anything he could get his hands on. Autobiographies, cook books, notes on danger beasts, stories about the history of the empire. Whatever was interesting, he would read it.

Lately he had gotten caught up in the tales of the legendary Great General Budo. One of the two most powerful individuals in the empire, with the other being the Lady of the North, General Esdeath. Budo was a living legend; having participated in some of the most vicious battles in the empire's recent history, such as the quelling of the western insurgency, or when he had personally marched into Shisuikan after it had been taken by rebels and wiped them all out _alone_.

To soldiers like him, Budo was a man turned myth. It was every soldier's dream to be acquire power and prestige when they lived in such dangerous times. A recession had overtaken the capital and as a result the military had been hard pressed to keep up with the amount of citizens trying to join. Considering the times they lived in, many people saw the armed forces as an almost guaranteed job with the chance to earn riches and rewards beyond their wildest dreams, so it was no surprise when recruiters found themselves swamped with eager citizens trying to get a spot.

Many people found their ambitions to be fruitless upon entering the military. Many new recruits came from cities outside the capital or small villages located out in the country; they were used to working long hours and dealing with harsh conditions. For many of the young nobles who were pressured into joining the military by their parents, the intense training and harsh instructors made their time akin to a hell on earth. There was an unspoken joy among the soldiers to see spoiled, selfish young men and women who were used to having everything handed to them turn into frightened children upon meeting the drill instructor or seeing the food they would be getting.

Needless to say; a vast majority of recruits dropped from the program as soon as possible.

With all the speed of an ancient tortoise, the figure crawled into his bed. He snuggled into the pillow and struggled with the thin covers briefly before working himself into a comfortable position. His eyes fell shut and he drifted off to sleep.

He dreamed of the capital. He was observing the morning traffic as countless citizens made their way throughout the capital. There were nobles dressed in fine silks and linens laughing boisterously as they shopped in extravagant stores and generally flaunted their superior status as much as possible. There were soldiers standing guard in various areas, watching over the populace and keeping order. He could see the less fortunate members of society carrying all sorts of items such as food for their families, supplies for their jobs, and all sorts of simple everyday tools.

Suddenly there was a scream, and in the corner of his eye he noticed something flash before fading abruptly. He turned towards the source, only to hear another scream as his vision once again lit up for a brief second.

Another flash. _Thud_

The populace descending into panic. _Thud_

He squinted as more and more flashes appeared and vanished like bolts of lightning. Each time the brightness lit up his vision, and there was one less voice adding to the wild cacophony around him.

And yet he might as well have been deaf to all the chaos as he covered his ears desperately to block out the jarring thud reverberating through them. His head was pounding as though he had a wild rabbit jammed inside, bouncing up and down frantically. His stomach burned as though someone had poured white hot lava down his throat and he fell to his knees, gasping as the heat seeped into his skin and bled through his veins.

 _Thud_

 _Thud_

 _Thud_

He opened his mouth to scream and-

* * *

Sunlight filtered in through the window of the room. As relatively new members of the military, they were forced to live inside of average sized rooms that were made to seem rather small due to the fact that each room contained two bunk beds, a desk, and a bookshelf. So when the young man was wrenched from his sleep by the sound of his friend's voice, he ended up smacking his head rather painfully against the wall.

He clasped his throbbing forehead, "What the hell was that for you ass!" he glared angrily at the impatient looking man.

The object of his irritation, a thin man with blood red hair, waved his hands dismissively as the younger man pulled himself out of bed. "You're about to miss breakfast because you decided to spend all night reading again." He reached into a pouch on his side before pulling out a plain toothbrush and tossing it to his friend.

The man briefly fumbled before firmly grasping it by the handle. He glared as the man snickered. "My hero", he deadpanned. "What would I do without you?" He walked past the man and pushed the door open. A right turn and he was in the bathroom at the end of the hall.

"You'd probably have washed out!" His friend called out, no doubt heading for the mess hall.

He sighed. Rory was a friend and a good one at that, but the man was an ass. He wearily dipped his free hand into the bucket below him and splashed some water in his face. The feeling of the icy liquid meeting his skin shocked him into awareness, goosebumps popping into existence all over his face as he shivered.

He gently squeezed a bit of toothpaste onto the brush and began scrubbing his teeth. As the minty freshness overrode the stench of morning breath he observed himself in the mirror.

His first impression was that he looked raggedy. His grey eyes were bright and alive due to the impromptu shower he'd just received, but he appeared as though he had spent several hours running in circles and rolling down hills. His hair looked relatively untouched, but he barely had left any due to regulation.

Originally his hair had been long enough that people often mistook him for a girl before seeing him up close. Once he'd entered basic training he'd been sat down and forced to watch as a fat bald man shaved all of his hair off. While he was grateful for no longer being considered gender confused, the tiny amount of hair he had left made it uncomfortable whenever there was a breeze.

His tan skin appeared even darker than usual due to the light filtering in from the window on the side. His skin color made him stand out from the other residents in the capital due to it's rarity. His father had been born in Kyoroch out in the eastern regions of the empire, and due to the pictures he had seen, he had inherited the man's overall appearance.

His father had been tall and lanky around his age of sixteen years. He had a thin nose and sharp, angular features. Unlike his son, the man's hair had been white and his eyes were brown. He was similar in appearance, but his nose was wider, his cheeks fuller than his dad's had been; he was lanky, but he was shorter and more filled out than his father. That, and he'd inherited his eyes and hair from his mother.

She had grown up in the capital as the daughter of a rich merchant. Unlike most other rich children, she was adventurous and aggressive. She hated the thought of doing nothing until she was married and forced to become a simple housewife. One day she had been had visiting her favorite cafe when she'd come across a man the likes of which she had never seen reading a book while drinking tea. The man had been quietly reading when a strange woman with braided black hair plopped down in front of him and ordered a small cake for herself.

She'd asked him what he was reading about. He explained that it was about relations between the different ethnic groups residing in the empire. She listened before smiling and introducing herself.

Her name was Kaede. His was Dachi.

They quickly discovered that they enjoyed each other's company as well as debating the pros and cons of different solutions to strengthening relations between the many people of the empire. Soon they found themselves meeting more often. Sometimes to debate the finer points of politics, sometimes to eat, and sometimes just to walk around the capital silently.

Before they knew it they had fallen in love and Kaede found herself in agony on a bed, surrounded by friends and family as several midwives bustled around her, doing their best to comfort and encourage her. Eventually with a loud pop a squirming bundle of crying flesh emerged, and one of the midwives cleaned the fluids off of it before handing it to her.

She named him Sosuke.

He was a bright and cheerful child, always hugging his parents and asking them questions. The most common sound his parents would hear was the sound of his footsteps echoing throughout their house, accompanied by his high pitched voice calling out to them. His mother would smile and pick him up with her strong arms, leading him to snuggle closer and breathe in her scent.

Kaede had always smelled like pine. She smelled sweet and powerful; like a vibrant forest filled with trees and small animals darting about. From the moment he'd been born, although he didn't know it, Sosuke had loved that smell and had automatically associated it with comfort. As soon as the scent entered his nostrils he would unconsciously relax.

Her scent had always made him feel _safe_.

His father would laugh and ask him what it felt like to be in the arms of the most beautiful woman in the world, causing her to blush while Sosuke would just grin at his father. It had been that way for five years, and they were the happiest years of their lives.

Then Dachi contracted an illness on one of his travels and died.

Sosuke had been angry and bitter after his father died. He'd made things hard for his mother until he finally understood that acting like a brat wouldn't bring his father back. As a result of his new mindset he'd resolved to repay his mother somehow. He ended up choosing to join the imperial army so he could help create a better world for her.

He blinked a few times until he was sure he was awake, then made his way back to his room. Sosuke hurriedly shoved on his trousers and a short sleeved white t-shirt before running towards the mess hall.

His stomach growled as he ran. ' _Yeah yeah I know'_ , he grumbled.

* * *

"Nice outfit," Rory grinned at him from across the table.

Sosuke narrowed his eyes. "Fuck you," he growled. It was all Rory's fault, he decided, that he was stuck looking like he'd just crawled out of bed, which wasn't too far from the truth, while his "friend" looked clean and well-fed across from him. Rory could have, _should_ have woken him up earlier, but it was just like him to wait until it was almost too late for Sosuke to wake up on time.

He'd barely been able to gulp down a bowl of cereal before Captain Ogre came barging in for morning inspection. As a captain of the Imperial Police, Ogre felt it was his duty to interrupt his subordinates during their mornings in order to judge their current state of affairs. Many believed it was simply because the man liked to fuck with them. After getting singled out for his clothes and yelled at for five minutes, Sosuke thought it was a bit of both. The scarred captain seemed to enjoy hearing the sound of his own voice.

The men and women had relaxed and begun their duties upon Ogre's exit, the mess hall becoming a cacophony of noise and movement once again. Sosuke abruptly turned away from his older companion and began making his way back to his room to change. He struggled to pass through the wall of bodies blocking him until he entered the narrow hallway leading to the bedrooms.

His footsteps echoed in the hall as he opened the second door on the left, immediately shutting it behind him to avoid prying eyes. While struggling to put on his shirt, he admitted it would useless against Rory. The man would throw the door open, consequences be damned if he felt like it. So unless he wanted his red headed friend to see him in his underwear he would need to change quickly.

He carefully slid his white pants up his legs until they were at his waist. He grabbed a brown leather belt and gently slid it through the hoops on his pants, tightening them with a small yank.

Satisfied, he pulled a slim long sleeved black shirt over his head and put his arms through the sleeves. He pulled at the collar a bit, wincing slightly at the cold, before he carefully attached the grey breastplate to his chest, fumbling with the straps until it was securely tightened. He then grabbed two similarly colored shoulder pauldrons and gently attached them, grimacing at the coldness of the metal.

He grabbed his brown boots and struggled with them briefly before securing his feet inside. The laces felt cool on his fingers as he tightened them around his feet. Sosuke arched his back as the need to stretch overtook him. He looked around before spotting the last piece of equipment he needed.

Hanging near his bed were two swords sheathed in brown leather. The hilts were pure black, with no design or aesthetic additions. The crossguards however, took the form of ovals, small and golden. The blades themselves were completely straight, unlike a regular katana. Sosuke strapped them on immediately, the familiar weight making him feel comfortable as he exited the room.

He yawned. Today was Ogre's day off, so aside from some light patrolling he didn't have much to do. Of course, Rory would probably try to get him to come drinking, but he'd learned his lesson. Sixteen year-olds should _not_ have to deal with hangovers, no matter who said so.

He started as an arm threw itself over his shoulders. "You sure took your time changing huh?" Rory waggled his crimson eyebrows mischievously. He leaned down conspiratorially. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were hiding something," he grinned, and Sosuke couldn't help but be reminded of a fox.

"Sosuke, you hiding a girl in your room?" Rory asked, his face the definition of serious.

His friend gave him a dry look. "You're an idiot Rory," Sosuke sighed, pinching the bridged of his nose as the man next to him gave a bark of laughter. He clapped his shorter friend on the shoulder. "You've got to lighten up! It's our day off after all," he said before lifting his arm from the teen's shoulders.

What was left of Sosuke's hair swayed as he laughed. "Yeah I know, but I'd rather not have to drag your sorry ass back home after you've finished making a fool of yourself. Especially not with a hangover."

Rory's laughed gained a nervous tinge. "Come on man. It wasn't that bad right?" At his friend's knowing look he caved. "Alright, alright," Rory raised his arms slowly, beginning to back away. He then turned and ran, shoving past anyone in his way as the brunette's laughter echoed after him.

All Sosuke could see of his friend was a red patch in a sea of brown and black. "YOU'D BETTER SHOW UP FOR DRINKS TONIGHT!" Rory's voice echoed loudly before fading away.

He sighed as he finally lost sight of his friend.

Why did he have to get stuck with the idiot?

* * *

 _It's dark outside_.

The day had gone by unusually quickly to Sosuke, or so it seemed. He'd gone out on patrol and for once there had been no issue for him to deal with. No burglaries, pickpockets, or even thugs seemed to be active today, which was strange in itself because most of the scum seemed to come out to play whenever Ogre took one of his days off.

Once he'd finished the sun had fallen considerably, and the pale blue sky had become drenched in burnt orange. He had always enjoyed watching the sunset with his father. Dachi had constantly told him stories of wrestling with his brothers and sisters until the sun began to fall, at which point they would be called inside by their mother for dinner.

Watching the golden rays of light vanish before his very eyes had been one of his favorite things to do, and he had found himself enjoying the sight just as much.

Eventually night fell and the streets became crowded with guards enjoying their freedom. The darkness was kept at bay by the seemingly endless amount of lights coming from the capital. It seemed as though every shop owner had the good sense to keep track of Ogre's off days. The man was unpredictable when he got drunk, as well as unusually generous to his men when he felt like it. It was practically guaranteed that when the captain was free from work he would go out drinking. Not only would the bar owners and various restaurants cater to the brutish man, but also to his subordinates who flooded the streets.

Sosuke found himself fighting off a wave of drowsiness as he traversed the streets. He'd just escaped a party that Rory had coerced him into attending. The food had been delicious, but he'd decided to escape the moment he saw Rory grab a wine bottle. _'Those dumplings'_ , he licked his lips. He would treasure the memory of those dumplings for the rest of his life.

It seemed like every imperial guard they had stationed in the capital was out tonight. He'd left Rory behind a short while ago, and he could see his comrades everywhere enjoying what the night had to offer.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a familiar shape disappear into an alley. He blinked, _'Was that the captain?'_ His drowsiness vanishing, he slowly followed. His footsteps lightly clattered against the pavement despite his best efforts to keep them silent, yet Ogre didn't seem to notice.

As he got closer, the teen noticed that the captain was following somebody. His eyes narrowed. The figure his captain was following wore a grey cloak that hid all of their features from him. The only details he noticed were the figure's small size, and the broadness of their soldiers signalling that it was likely a male.

"Oi! You've got something to say or what?" Ogre's growling voice startled him. Suddenly, the figure whirled around towards them, allowing him to catch a flash of brown before the mysterious man fell to his knees, groveling before the captain.

"I beg you! Please let me into the defense force!" He cried, his surprisingly deep voice revealing him as a young man. Peeking out form the wall, Sosuke's eyebrows rose. Why on earth would someone drag Ogre into an alley just for that? All you had to do was register at an office and see if they accepted your application. If they did, you're in. If not, then you would need to find another job. Luckily for him, it hadn't taken long for him to be accepted.

Ogre clearly felt the same. "Idiot," he scoffed. "You should just register at one of the offices." He turned and began walking towards the street, and unknowingly towards where Sosuke was hiding, prompting the young man to panic quietly.

Luckily, the strange boy continued. "But it's hard to get in, considering the recession." he said. He began rising to his feet as his voice developed a sly edge to it.

Ogre seemed to notice as he began to draw his sword. "I take it you weren't strong enough to pass the entrance exam?" His tone was conversational, but his entire being was on alert. The tenseness in his shoulders and the bent position of his legs revealed he was ready to spring. Suddenly the boy lunged, a shortsword clasped in his right hand as the brutish captain whirled to meet him.

The boy's hood had fallen, and he was able to observe his features. The teenager had spiky brown hair and bright emerald eyes. His skin was slightly more tanned than the average capital citizen, a sign that he was likely from the country. He wore a yellow v-neck sweater, and Sosuke could see a collar poking out from underneath. The boy swung his sword as the captain mirrored him, their arms becoming blurs.

Their blades hummed through the air and they were each other, waiting to see who had won the exchange. Then a spurt of blood erupted from the captain and he fell. Sosuke's eyes widened. _'Oh shit, he must be an assassin!'_ he thought frantically. _'I've got to do something!'_

Before he could move, he saw Ogre rising to his feet behind the boy, who seemed distracted by something. He finally noticed the killing intent saturating the area and was barely able to block a strike that would have shredded him. As it was, it only sent the teen flying.

Ogre was alive. Bleeding and panting like he was on his last legs but alive, and he was enraged. His teeth were bared at the assassin in a snarl, and his one good eye looked almost demonic in the moonlight.

The man pointed his sword at his would-be killer. "I see. . . you're a member of Night Raid aren't you?" He spat, blood dribbling from his mouth. "Do you know who I am? I'm Ogre the demon! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN PASS JUDGEMENT ON ME! THE WEAK HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE MY ACTIONS!"

The assassin leaped into the air, high above the murderous man. "Don't run your mouth!" he shouted, slashing downward with all his strength. His opponent blocked easily, and the assassin found himself on the defensive as Ogre forced him to block a strike that would have cleaved him in half. The man grinned as the teen struggled against his superior strength. "Who sent you to kill me I wonder? Was it that bitch whose fiance I killed the other day?" The man pressed down, and the assassin was hard pressed push him back.

Ogre smiled demonically. "It must have been her right? I knew I should have killed her when I had the chance!" He growled as the teen lifted his blade a fraction of an inch. "No, I can still kill her!" he leaned down towards his would-be murderer, his voice becoming even more deranged than before.

"I'll frame her family for some crime", he raved, becoming less and less aware of the situation he was in. "Then I'll execute them all right in front of her before I take her head!" He cried, sounding elated.

As the man's words washed over him, Sosuke recoiled. This was his captain? The imperial guard's purpose was to safeguard the citizens of the capital in order to maintain the peace. They were the beacons of order that kept the people safe from the scum who infested the place like rats. They were supposed to protect and serve the civilians, not bully and oppress them like tyrants.

Shaking his head, he began to leave his hiding place, but it was too late. While Ogre had been raving, his grip on his sword slackened, allowing the assassin to free himself from their stalemate. His sword sliced through bone and flesh as he removed the captain's arms and leaped into the sky.

As the assassin began to fall towards the ground, he saw Ogre's face run through a myriad of emotions; surprise, disbelief, agony, and rage all distorted the brutish man's features for a second before he beheaded him.

* * *

Ogre's corpse collapsed in a shower of blood, and several things happened.

The guard who had been hiding behind the wall charged out to deal with the assassin.

The assassin, having relaxed after killing the captain, started as he was confronted by another soldier.

Sosuke drew one of his swords and pointed it at the man who had killed Ogre. He felt conflicted, but he wasn't sure if he was sorry for the captain's death after discovering his true nature, but if this was a member of the infamous Night Raid, then he would be best served capturing him. He did his best to look threatening, knowing that a single mistake against this man would be his death.

The assassin, whose name was Tatsumi, shook himself from his stupor and stood in a ready stance, waiting for his opponent to make the first move. Ogre had been incredibly strong. His arms were still tired from competing with the brute's strength and now he had to deal with another enemy.

He wasn't sure of what to expect from this new foe. Would he attack first? Would he aim high or low? How skilled was he with a blade. Would he have the energy to defeat him?

Whatever he was expecting, it was not for the guard to collapse and fall face-first on the pavement. The sword slipped from his now-limp hand and clattered against pavement briefly before going still.

Looking up from his vanquished foe, Tatsumi's eyes light up at the sight of a young girl his age. Her raven black hair hung below her waist like a curtain of shadows. She wore a black dress with a white collar folded against her neck. The crimson tie hanging from attached to her dress stood out like a bloody wound against the sea of black. A belt the same color as her tie was wrapped tightly around her waist, and attached to the buckle, hanging from her left hip was crimson leather in the shape of skirt-like armor. She had ebony boots nearly reaching her knees.

Her forearms were hidden under long black gloves, with red gauntlets set atop them. The rest of her body was hidden under a black coat whose sleeves disappeared under her gauntlets, hiding her alabaster skin. Her face was hidden behind the white mask she wore. Unlike the typical kabuki mask which was designed to be memorable, there was nothing special about it. It had no artwork, no features, nothing to make it stand out in any way.

It's only purpose was to disguise her face from those who desired the bounty placed on her head. It's only noticeable feature was a scar in the material, no doubt caused by the slash of a blade, that stretched from across the right cheek until it passed through the left eye-hole.

Aside from that, her most noticeable feature was the sword hanging at her hip, just above the skirt armor. In contrast to her outfit, it's handle was white and red. The hilt's edges were ridges of ivory, with a rectangular film of smooth red metal taking the center. Strange black symbols danced all over the metal, like the ancient language of a forgotten people. The bottom of the handle took the shape of a black square outlined in red. The crimson designs in the center stood out in the dark like an angry welt.

It's vermilion crossguard was shaped like an abnormally thick cross, and the blade, hidden under a sheathe of ebony and red, was gunmetal grey.

Tatsumi returned his gaze to her face. Just as before, he found himself unable to see her crimson orbs, instead seeing the darkness glaring out from the eyes of her mask. He tried to suppress a shiver.

He shook his head and smiled at her. "See Akame? I told you I would kill Ogre!" He pointed behind him at the corpse, pride rolling off of him in waves. After her cold treatment of him at the hideout, the brunette felt as though he deserved to brag.

Akame ignored him, instead choosing to crouch down and observe the unconscious guard. "Who is this?" she asked softly. Tatusmi blinked, his emerald gaze travelling down to the senseless teen.

He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Oh, you see, when I was fighting Ogre I could feel a presence nearby. After I killed him this guy came charging out and pointed a sword at me." he explained as she poked the guard.

Something occurred to him just then. "Hey Akame," he said, causing the ravenette's hair to whip upwards as she switched her gaze to him. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was shadowing you," she explained.

Tatusmi's raised an eyebrow. "Shadowing me?" he asked, confused.

Akame nodded. "The boss sent me to track you in order to make sure you weren't getting in over your head." She stopped poking the guard, having satisfied her curiosity. Without preamble she reached into the depths of her coat and withdrew a small dagger. She raised it slightly in preparation to end the soldier's life.

"Wait wait wait!" Tatsumi cried, waving his arms frantically. "You can't just kill him like that!"

She tilted her head as though she couldn't understand him. "Why not?"

"Because that's not fair," the teen blustered. Her nonchalance towards the idea of killing someone startled him. Despite having joined Night Raid, Tatsumi was new to the dark world they lived in. Sometimes he forgot that these people were professional assassins with the way they acted.

He shook his head. _'Whatever, I've got to think of something quickly before she kills him!'_ An idea occurred to him just then.

"He's a member of the imperial guard right?" She wordlessly nodded. "So that must mean he's got valuable information!" He was starting to get excited. "If we can get him to give us some valuable information like people Ogre was meeting with,we could use that to find more targets!" he finished, ecstatic at the thought of purging more of the scum infesting the capital.

His companion tilted her head, silently weighing the options. Despite only a minute passing, he felt as though it was taking hours. Tatsumi was afraid she might refuse and kill the poor guard anyway. To his relief, she withdrew the dagger insider her coat and grabbed the sheathes tied to the man's back. Unbuckling them quickly, she sheathed his remaining blade and tossed both swords to Tatsumi.

He managed to catch them without much of a problem. "In case he turns out to be dangerous," she explained as he gave her a questioning look.

It made plenty of sense to him, so he merely nodded as Akame slung the man over her shoulder. She then leaped to the roof and vanished before his eyes.

Tatsumi grumpily readjusted his hood . _'Show off'._ He lacked both the strength and the skill required to mimic her, so he had to use the narrow walls of the alley as springboards until he made it. His feet scrabbled against the wall as he slowly pulled himself up after making it. His legs burned lightly, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Silently, he began making his way towards the hideout, leaping across countless buildings as the night air whipped across his face.

His thoughts were whirring rapidly. From his battle with Ogre to his elation over successfully assassinating his target, it had been an interesting night to say the least. The young guard they'd kidnapped also piqued his interest. He didn't know what would happen, but he hoped he would have valuable information, or at least promise not to reveal their identities.

For his sake.

* * *

 **Hey guys I'm back!**

 **It's been a long time since I wrote anything on this site, but I've been held up with graduating highschool (class of 2015 baby!) moving into a new house, my sister moving out, my mom getting married, and basically a lot of shit's gone down and I'm sorry for not being here.**

 **I discovered AGK in June, and after reading the first chapter I became hooked. I read the entire series in a few days, and now I'm stuck waiting for each new chapter with everybody else.**

 **I would make my heart so very glad if you dropped some reviews. Criticism of all kinds would be helpful, I'm trying to get better at writing so anything you can give me would be great.**


	2. Lies torn asunder

**Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill**

* * *

Tatsumi nervously shifted from foot to foot while the boss watched him. After arriving at the hideout he'd been ordered to give his report of the situation. Akame had arrived much earlier than him, and it seemed she had already told the boss everything- about what she'd seen from Tatsumi, and about the unconscious guard who was being kept inside one of the spare rooms.

Leone had been sent to watch over the man in case he tried anything after waking up. Privately, the newest member thought it was highly unlikely any soldier of the empire would push his luck against some of the empire's most dangerous enemies, but then again, that hadn't stopped him from rushing out to fight one of them.

"Let's see if I understand everything." Tatsumi swallowed as the Boss' tone became unnaturally calm. He vividly remembered Leone, who seemed completely unflappable, pale and run for her life when the silver haired woman voice became the way it was now. Currently he was in the meeting room, standing across from her while she sat in her wooden throne. While the boss was pleased to hear of his success regarding Ogre's assassination, once he'd told her about their new 'guest' her face had lost all emotion.

She was sitting in her favorite chair set a foot or two in front of the fireplace. Tatsumi wouldn't say anything, but he found Najenda to be the most intimidating person he had ever met. She was normally easygoing and humorous, but when it came to missions, she became militaristic and intense.

The Boss observed him a minute before continuing. "You killed Ogre, and found yourself dealing with another guard right?" At his nod she continued. "Akame knocked him out, and instead of letting her simply kill him and keeping our security intact, you thought it would be a good idea to bring him here?" She sounded like a mother reprimanding her child for doing something painfully stupid, and Tatsumi's head dropped lower and lower until he was staring at the floor.

"Raise your head," she ordered.

The teen hastily obeyed. He almost got whiplash from how quickly he rose to look at her. He saw her violet eye flashing with annoyance before she pinched her nose with her non metal hand.

"Alright then," she began. "He can stay, but he will be watched at all times. Also, if we cannot find a use for him, he dies. Understand?" she withdrew her hand just enough so he could see the menacing glint in her eye. The country teen nodded frantically.

She then waved him off. As calmly as he could, Tatsumi walked out of the meeting room, heading down to the training grounds to see if Bulat would be able to help him work off his nervousness.

As she watched him disappear down the hallway, Najenda sighed. Only his first mission and Tatsumi went above and beyond expectations. She doubted the guard Akame had brought would have any information she hadn't already heard about, but he could be useful, provided she played her cards right.

* * *

"Ow!" Tatsumi cried, rubbing his aching cheek. He hissed as the bruise, courtesy of Bulat, throbbed painfully.

Mine crossed her arms petulantly "You deserve it!" she snapped. The diminutive pinkette had been even more unbearable than usual after learning that another stranger had been brought to their base. Tatsumi's arrival had been met with some apprehension from the assassins, but they had eventually warmed up to the newbie. Mine however, had taken his presence as if it were a personal insult. It was clear that she was a normally loud person who had no problem making her feelings known, but she went the extra mile in making life hard for him.

Tatsumi didn't think she was a bad person, but she grated on his nerves at the best of times. "What are you talking about?" he demanded. He began counting off his fingers. "I completed my mission and killed a strong enemy. I helped capture one of the guards, and I made sure he didn't see anything!" He knew Akame was responsible for the last few things, but he deserved some credit!

Mine rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you did rookie," she said, clearly feeling the opposite from the tone of her voice.

He was already on edge from his mission, the boss' interrogation, and Bulat smacking him all over the training field. He didn't need to deal with this. "Stop calling me a rookie! I'm a member of Night Raid dammit!"

Mine marched towards him until they were face to face. "I'll call you whatever I want, _rookie_ ," she snarled, a highly manicured fingernail poking him in the chest.

She glared at him, her reddish pink orbs trying to burn their way through his face and into his skull. They were almost nose to nose at this point, and to his annoyance, Tatsumi realized that they were almost the same height.

Abruptly, she backed off, allowing him to release a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding. "You brought this guy here so he could give us information, but how do you know he has anything we can use?" she demanded, sounding much more level-headed than before.

Tatsumi opened his mouth to respond, but as he processed her words he found himself lacking an answer. How _did_ he guarantee that he hadn't put the security of their base in danger for no good reason when they had kidnapped a completely random guard. Leone had searched the guard's body vigorously for any important documents or identification, and had found nothing- meaning he had likely taken an ordinary foot soldier.

Foot soldiers were as low as you could get in the military, so his efforts had probably been for nothing. "We'll just have to wait and see," he said weakly.

The pinkette rolled her eyes and shoved past him, heading down the hallway until she reached the corner and turned out of sight. From her direction, she was likely going to the library so she could vent her problems to Sheele. He'd noticed just how close the two girls were, and Sheele was always willing to listen to Mine's problems, as she could be annoying to the others.

He put his head in his hands. _'Could this be any worse?'_

* * *

The first thing Sosuke noticed was the pain. His nose was throbbing, painfully. That and he couldn't see a thing, no matter how hard he strained his eyes. He groaned as another wave of discomfort made itself known.

Eventually, it subsided enough for him to begin taking notice of his surroundings. He was clearly blind at the moment, so he would have to rely on touch. For whatever reason, he felt slightly numb.

From the feeling, he was probably on a bed. He'd fallen asleep on enough floors and desks to tell the difference. Also, he felt way lighter than he last remembered. He briefly ran his hands over his chest and shoulders. Someone had removed his armor, and from the feel of it, his swords as well. He was dressed in a t shirt and some shorts.

He yawned tiredly. _'Still, I should find out where I am.'_ His nose was killing him. Had he run into something and knocked himself out? He closed his eyes and burrowed back into the pillow, trying to figure out what was going on.

Had Rory gotten him to drink again? It was a bit hard, but he was able to drudge of his most recent memories. He recalled a very large party, eating lots of food, and walking down the street before he saw Captain Ogre and - _'Shit, the assassin!'_ The memories came swarming back as a jolt ran through his body, causing the bed to shake. He'd seen Ogre disappear inside an alleyway, then the captain was killed and he tried to confront his killer before everything went black.

 _'But where am I? There's no way they just dropped me off back at headquarters,'_ his brain worked a mile a minute as he struggled to come up with an idea of where he was. He kept thinking until a feeling of intense dread washed over him. Night Raid were the empire's enemies right? He'd watched one of them kill his captain in cold blood after all. If he wasn't dead, then that could only mean one thing.

He felt his heartbeat speed up. _'I've been captured haven't I?'_ He pushed himself out of the bed, dropping the thin covers that had been splayed over his legs to the floor. He still couldn't see anything, which lowered his already slim chances of escape, but he was still going to try his damndest to get out of here. There was no way he would accept being anyone's prisoner.

He felt his toes hit the carpet, and was about to bolt for the nearest exit when a voice froze him in his tracks.

"Don't move," it said.

He felt every curse he knew came to the forefront of his mind as he froze. For a while, there was nothing. The person, who was probably another assassin, was completely silent, and Sosuke couldn't sense their presence no matter how hard he tried.

His midriff exploded with pain as a fist doubled him over. He swung as quickly as he could, but he only felt air as they dodged. A heel smacked into his spine painfully, and he hit the ground face first, causing his already aching nose to ignite with agony.

"How pathetic," their voice sounded surprisingly young, and from their tone he realized that the woman, for it was definitely a woman, was mocking him.

Snarling, he rose as quickly as he could and spun towards the voice, adding a kick in for good measure. He was rewarded for his efforts by an effortless block and a sharp jab that snapped his head back. Roaring with anger, he hurled himself at the assassin; throwing punches, kicks, elbows, and whatever he could think of as she either blocked, dodged, or redirected his strikes.

The woman seemed to be having fun with him. "Oooh, feisty!" she called and he could practically _hear_ a grin stretching across her face as he threw a left hook, spun into a backfist when it missed, and continued with a spinning kick in rapid succession, all of which she neatly avoided.

"You're pretty good in a fight!" His jumping knee smacked against her palms as she blocked. "But it's time to end this," her voice became serious, and Sosuke, who had thrown a right cross at where he guessed her face was, felt a crushingly strong grip wrap around his arm before he was flying through the air. His landed quite painfully despite the softness of the carpet, and was unable to contain an 'Ooof!' as the woman stepped on his chest.

Sosuke had always been someone who enjoyed a good fight. He was good at improvising during battle and had an ability to thinking on the fly when things weren't going his way. He'd especially prized himself on his talent for hand-to-hand combat. Growing up, he had always had a bit of temper, something he'd inherited from his mother, and it had gotten him into plenty of fights both when he was a child.

He'd usually beaten up the kids who tried to fight him, and while he hadn't always won when he grew and his opponents became bigger and stronger, he'd at least been able to at least get in a good hit or two.

It was the reason he'd been gifted with his swords. His talent for fighting combined with the admiration he'd held for swordsmen after seeing a mock duel as a child.

It meant absolutely nothing against this woman. She'd taken everything he had and made it completely worthless.

All his training, countless hours spent learning how to wield his swords, the fights he'd won, lost and learned from. Being beaten into the ground or doing the beating, he'd learned and improved as much as he could.

And against this woman it had meant absolutely nothing. His strength was easily overpowered. His speed made to look like a child trying to race against a horse. All his skill and technique meant nothing.

The foot pressed down harder on his chest as the woman laughed. "Like I said, you've got some skills when it comes to fighting! But I've been doing this a fair bit longer than you have, so I have the edge in experience," she explained, sounding way to cheery for someone who had just delivered a violent beating.

The pain increased, and he yelped. "That, and I'm stronger than you," she bragged, causing him to grit his teeth angrily. "Also, you might be blindfolded aaaaaaaaand there's a teensy tiny bit of poison running through your system to keep you weak," she said mischievously, and Sosuke found himself both surprised and angry as this information hit him.

He'd been poisoned? Sure, the blindfold he'd noticed, but he'd been fighting under the influence of a poison? He felt rather embarrassed after taking some time to think about it. His muscles burned as if he'd been running laps for several hours without rest, and during their 'fight' it seemed like he was moving through sludge with every strike he threw.

Before he knew it, he was talking to the assassin. "So you only beat me because you cheated?" he quipped.

The pressure on his chest suddenly vanished before he was abruptly whirled around so his back was on the air. The carpet was surprisingly comfortable on his abused face and torso, but it still hurt. He felt the vicious woman's hands grab him by the wrist before she began tying them together. He tried to shift his hands, but it was impossible. His wrists didn't ache or feel like he'd rubbed them against something coarse and frayed, so she'd probably bound him with wire. Strong wire from the feel of it; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break loose.

He was wordlessly yanked to his feet by the back of his shirt, wobbling unsteadily for a moment until he righted himself. He hurt all over, but he could handle it, despite having kicked his ass all over the room, she hadn't really done too much damage.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder and squeezed. "Cheated?" she asked. Her grip momentarily tightened before she started laughing. It was loud and wild, chuckling and wheezing at the same time. "I'm an assassin, buddy," she managed to say, chuckles escaping from her. "Playing fair is for the dead." She continued laughing, and against his will, Sosuke could feel a grin fighting it's way across his face. For an assassin, this woman was strangely boisterous. She'd made fun of him, trampled all over his pride and self confidence, and then she'd bound his arms, but he found himself enjoying her company. She seemed like someone who enjoyed life. She would probably get along famously with Rory.

An image of Rory at the party last year ran through his head and he shivered. _'Never mind, these two should never meet under any circumstances.'_

Eventually, her laughter died down and her grip on his shoulder tightened. He fought a wince. This woman was quite strong.

"Alright buddy. It's time for you to see the boss." she announced brightly. Her hand tightened even more, causing him to grit his teeth.

He felt her press her weight against his back, and he tried to keep the heat in his cheeks from spreading as he felt something very, _very_ large and soft press against him. "Don't try anything alright?" she asked, as her breath tickled his ear. "I'll have to kill you if you do."

He shivered as her words brushed over him. Her tone was bright as if she'd just told him she was enjoying the weather, but he knew without a doubt that she was serious.

Her voice rose to it's usual crescendo. "Well then, let's see the boss shall we?

Sosuke gulped. Whoever she was, this girl was strong as hell, not to mention she was a beast in unarmed combat. He'd never faced someone so skilled without a weapon before, and she wasn't even the strongest? What the hell could this boss of hers be like?

The air whirled around him as he was spun around in a circle. He kept spinning until it felt as though he was in the center of his own personal tornado. Eventually he came to a halt, his head ringing painfully. He was then pulled across the floor, hearing a door being unlatched as he was unceremoniously dragged through the mysterious hideout.

He heard the door close behind him, and had to stifle a sigh as he heard a man's deep chuckle behind him.

He was screwed, he knew it.

* * *

His heels scuffed against the ground as they made yet another turn. So far he'd been led through countless rooms on their quest to meet the boss. He counted at least fifteen rooms as another door creaked open. His legs were starting to get tired from the constant walking, but he refrained from asking for a break.

He was turned so they were facing another new direction, until eventually, they stopped walking. Was this where he would meet the boss?

He opened his mouth to ask why they'd stopped, but the words died in his throat as he a pair of knuckles brushed against the back of his neck as his blindfold was ripped off. After spending so much time in darkness, his eyes were unused to the harsh reintroduction to light, and he closed them as the brightness became too much.

Eventually the light faded from blinding to merely glowing, and he slowly opened his eyes to take in his surroundings. They were in a large room, with brightly colored walls and a crimson rug decorating the floor. His drew his gaze towards the small throne located about six feet in front of him.

The throne itself was unusually simple. It was crafted from wood, and he could see that whoever had carved it had been very attentive to detail. it's design was plain, there were no additions of jewels or gold, and the cushion was made from dark purple leather. What called his attention however, was the woman, sitting on the throne, observing him quietly.

She had short, messy silver hair that looked far to masculine in comparison to her features. Her features were sharp and well defined, a sign of someone from a high ranking family no doubt, and her right eye and eyelash were obscured by the large eye patch she wore. He remaining eye was turquoise, and it's narrow gaze along with her slanted eyebrows gave her the look of someone in control.

She was dressed in a plain black suit with matching pants. Her feet were clad in black boots to complete the theme. She crossed her arms, and his eyes widened as he took in her right arm, or lack thereof.

The light glinted off of it, and he tried his best not to stare. Her right arm was gone. Not a single ounce of flesh remained where it should have been. Instead, a bulky replacement made of metal took up residence where the arm once was. It was much bulkier than the other one, especially with the large pauldron where her shoulder would have been. The metal was a dark forest green, but he could see patches of black in certain spots, and he saw the ghost of a smirk make it's way across her face as he took it in.

"You seem surprised. Is something wrong?" Instead of the sharp, demanding voice he'd been expecting, she sounded amused. Wait a second, this woman was teasing him?

She gestured with her metal arm. "Oh this? I guess you could say I acquired it after an unfortunate encounter," she said, resting both her arms on the throne.

Suddenly her eye hardened. "Now then Leone," Sosuke heard a sharp intake of breath behind him. "Do you mind explaining why this boy is covered in bruises?"

Sosuke blinked. _'Leone? Who the hell is-'_ his eyes narrowed as he put two and two together. _'So that's her name huh?'_ He turned around to see the woman who'd beaten him up looked like.

He blinked once. Twice. Against his will, a blush began to spread across his cheeks as he noticed her attire. She looked to be around nineteen or twenty years old, with short blond hair and two noticeably long bangs that hung down to her ah, rather large assets. She had golden eyes that were a shade darker than her hair, and she had bright, flawless skin.

As for her clothes, he wasn't sure how to describe them without sounding perverted. She was wearing an ensemble of white, black, and gold that looked like it had been designed by someone with a little bit too much appreciation for the female form. Instead of a shirt, she had on a black tube top, and her pants looked more like loose sleeves for her legs. Her arms were covered by long, poofy white sleeves that tightened around her wrists. The sleeves continued up her arms and stopped an inch below her shoulder. Instead of cloth, there were large hoops of gold wrapped around her biceps.

She wore white pants edged with gold near the top, which for whatever reason stopped three quarters of the way up her thighs, allowing him a full glimpse of the black underwear she wore. She wore tall brown boots with her pants tucked inside, and a scarf was wrapped around her neck.

Desperately trying to keep his cool, he raised an eyebrow. "Why are you dressed like a hooker?" he blurted out.

He tried to cover his mouth before remembering his current position. The temperature dropped a few degrees as Leone slowly turned to face him. Slowly, she raised her hands and began cracking her knuckles, pausing between each snap for emphasis.

Eventually, the blond stopped, and Sosuke felt a chill run through him as she reached for him. _'I'm gonna die here,'_ he realized. After everything he'd accomplished, all the plans he'd made for his life; he was going to die before he'd finished puberty, all because he'd been stupid enough to run his mouth at an assassin.

Her hand made contact with his hair, and he froze. This was it, the end.

Instead digging into his scalp or crushing his head like a grape like he'd expected, she patted his head heartily. "Good one, kid," her white teeth flashed as she gave him a catlike grin.

"I've gone by plenty of names, but no one's called me a hooker before!" She threw her head back and laughed, causing his trepidation to evaporate. Her vibrant nature was infectious.

He watched her laugh, and mentally equated it to the vicious woman from earlier.

 _'That's definitely the same chick,'_ he thought.

He was yanked from his thoughts by the boss' voice. "Now then young man, what is your name?" she asked.

He turned to face her. "Sosuke ma'am," he answered promptly. He thought it was the best course of action to be respectful considering that he was in their base, surrounded by people who could and would kill him in the blink of an eye if he made the wrong move.

He saw her eyebrow raise at his answer. "No surname?" she asked curiously, causing him to shake his head.

"None ma'am. My parents decided that I would take after my father in that regard." For whatever reason, his parents had refrained from giving him a surname. He knew his mother had one, but no matter how much he'd pleaded, she had refused to tell him what it was. It annoyed him to no end. His mom had always been stubborn, (another trait of hers he'd picked up) but he felt he deserved to know about his family's history.

He frowned as his mind revisited numerous arguments on the subject. "No ma'am. It was decided I would take after my father in that regard," he repeated, eyes glinting with irritation.

The woman showed no reaction to his annoyance, and continued to observe him quietly. Her entire being gave off the vibe of someone who was completely focused, and the guard found himself growing uncomfortable under her gaze. He kept himself from fidgeting, he'd always hated when they were forced to line up and stand completely still by a superior officer. Sosuke was an energetic person, so staying still for extended periods of time was against his nature.

At least, unless an interesting book was involved.

Suddenly her eyes narrowed. "Tell me Sosuke. What do you think of the capital?"

Sosuke stared, not quite understanding. "What exactly do you mean?" What could she mean? How should he think of the capital? It was his home. From the day he'd been born, he'd spent his life inside the capital with his family. There were problems of course, but what nation didn't have it's problems? It seemed no matter where they went, humans always managed to find trouble.

He decided to be honest. "Honestly, I love this place," he confessed. "As long as I've been alive, the capital's been my home. Everything I've ever known came from this place." His nose itched, but he was hard pressed to scratch it, what with the wire keeping his wrists behind his back.

He ignored it to keep speaking. "I know there are problems; that's why I joined the imperial guard in the first place. I wanted to make the world safer for my mother and everybody else I care about," he said, his voice reverberating through the room.

The woman's face had a thoughtful look. "And what would you do if you saw evil?" she asked him.

Before he could ask what she meant, she continued. "How would you react to seeing people crucified for made up slights against the minister? What would you do if you saw nobles who you were ordered to protect tormenting their less fortunate compatriots for fun? Tell me what you would do then."

"I would stop it of course," he retorted.

The boss smiled like a cat that had caught a mouse. "But what if in doing so, stopping this injustice, you were punished for it?" Her voice was soft now, and there was something he couldn't identify in it. Was she almost . . . satisfied?

Grey eyes narrowed at their turquoise counterpart. "Who cares? If I can't even do my job then I'm a shitty excuse for a soldier aren't I?" he said.

For a moment she said nothing, silently contemplating his words and the emotions driving them. "And if your mother was punished? she asked, sounding much older than she looked.

"W-what are you talking about?" Sosuke demanded.

"Your mother. Don't you know she would be targeted to keep you in line? That's exactly how the minister keeps control of the people." Her metallic fist clenched.

"When someone does something he doesn't like, he just has them and their loved ones executed. I doubt you're important enough for the minister to personally pay any attention, but any one of your superiors could arrange a tragic accident to happen to your mother," her voice was cold, as if she was stating simple facts. But that couldn't be true? Even if there was corruption, it couldn't be that bad right?

"You're lying. There's no way that could be true," he said shakily. He breathed slowly in order to calm down. When his heartbeat had settled to an acceptable rhythm, he continued.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe it," he spoke much more calmly. "If things are as bad as you say, then why wouldn't anybody have done anything? I know the emperor is just a pawn, anyone with half a brain knows that, but I can't just believe these kinds of things about my home."

Her only response was to shake her head. "I'm sorry, but the empire is rotting," she said sadly. "Ever since the Prime Minister came into power, our great nation has been deteriorating until it is what you see now."

He was about to speak, but she held up a hand to silence him. "I know how you feel Sosuke. I was a served in the imperial army before I noticed the corruption. During my time as a general, I was able to see the results of the minister's new regime." Her eye narrowed. "Our economy is in a recession because of nobles wasting money on their own pleasure instead of their country. Children are routinely sold into slavery by their parents because they cannot pay the heavy taxes the minister imposes. Dozens of small villages are dead or dying because they cannot not sustain themselves and pay their taxes."

"The people live in a world of fear and subservience. The minister has anyone who disagrees with his policies killed or stripped of all their power and banished. He sends out his own personal assassins to do his dirty work, and they don't hesitate." She banged her fist on the chair's arm.

"As we speak the northern tribes are being brutally subjugated because they stand against the empire's corruption. They decided not to support the prime minister's corruption, and they are suffering for it."

Sosuke could only stare as she told him of the darkness of his home. _'If she's telling the truth, then that means-'_ he swallowed. It would mean that everything he had been doing was wrong. That he'd just been protecting a place that endorsed everything he despised. Could that be true?

He was able to find his voice again. "But what do you want me to do about it?" he asked weakly.

The woman smiled, all traces of anger gone from her face. "How would you like to join us?" she inquired. "We are assassins, but our true purpose is to serve as a reconnaissance and information gathering unit for the revolutionary army."

Sosuke gaped at her. She continued. "While we take requests from the people to kill corrupt nobles and other scum, we periodically receive direct orders from the revolutionary army to take out high priority targets or find information. We plan to weaken the empire enough so that when the revolution finally strikes, we will be able to cut into the heart of the capital, and take out the source of all this misery." At this she clenched her fist, the human one this time.

He couldn't help asking. "Who?" he all but demanded.

She just smiled. "The prime minister of course."

That left his mind whirling. She definitely sounded noble, but anybody could dress up their cause to make themselves look heroic, no matter how vile their actions were. Why should he believe she was telling the truth. She was an assassin after all.

"That sounds like a good goal," he said slowly, measuring each word. "But why should I believe you?"

The one eyed woman smiled deviously. She'd been expecting him to say that.

"I'll convince you," she answered.

* * *

"This is going to suck. I already know it," Mine growled as she polished her rifle. They'd already allowed the country hick to join them for this mission, but now she had to deal with one of the empire's toy soldiers too? There was no way that this would be fun. "Why are letting this guy come with us?" She ran the cloth over the barrel even harder. "He'll just try to run off the first chance he gets."

She snorted. What the hell was Boss thinking? They couldn't just trust one of the empire's goons not to betray them, especially after they'd kidnapped him. For all they knew, he could just be waiting for the right moment to stab them in the back.

She scowled. _'As if I'd let that happen! I'll blast him the second he tries anything!'_ The cloth slipped from her fingers, drawing a curse from the diminutive woman. She grabbed it off the floor and threw to the side, instead choosing to examine pumpkin.

She extended a finger and dragged it against the length of the gun, pulling it up to her face for inspection. She carefully observed it before nodding in satisfaction. There was no way any dust could have escaped her 20/20 vision.

"Is something wrong Mine?" The quiet voice caused her to jump. She whirled around, about to give the asshole a piece of her mind (a maybe a blast or two) before she recognized the voice.

The pinkette sighed. "Sheele," she began. "How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me like that? Seeing how you're one of the least annoying people in this place, I'd rather not shoot you by accident." she said acridly.

Sheele brought a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry, I keep forgetting."

Mine rolled her eyes. "Shocking."

Despite her tone, the ditsy purplette knew there was no real venom in her words. Mine could be high maintenance and aggressive, but she was very kind and loyal underneath her rough exterior.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she noticed her friend's posture. "What's wrong?"

Mine ignored her in favor of returning Pumpkin to it's case. She gently set the rifle inside and snapped it shut, locking it with a _click!_ Satisfied, she turned to face the taller woman. "It's the new guy," she said.

Sheele raised an eyebrow. "New guy?" She was confused. Had something happened between Mine and Tatsumi? She knew they often clashed due to their differing personalities and similar tempers, but the pinkette looked truly stressed.

"Oh that's right! You were out on a mission." Mine remembered it clearly. Sheele and Lubbock had gone off to assassinate a woman who enjoyed kidnapping people from the red light district, killing them, and then using their bodies as puppets for her own twisted amusement. She shivered before returning to the conversation. "Last night the newbie managed to kill Ogre, but he brought back an imperial guard with him," she explained.

Her friend tilted her head to the side. "But why would Tatsumi do that?" she wondered. While the teen was definitely a bit too idealistic, she didn't think he would willingly endanger their entire base.

The pinkette rolled her eyes. "He thinks we'll be able to get the guy to join our side," she said derisively. She rubbed the area between her eyes. This was definitely going to be a hassle. "So now we have to bring the guy with us on our next mission so that he understands what's going on." She finished with a very unladylike snort.

Her friend watched her silently, before sitting down next to her. Sheele laid a hand on Mine's shoulder , silently willing the girl to relax. "You shouldn't worry so much. You trust Boss don't you?" Mine huffed, causing the purplette to smile. "It'll be alright. Trust me," she gently squeezed her shoulder before letting go. The older woman rose from her seat and walked out of the room with Mine watching.

She waited until the door had shut completely before smiling. Talking to her friend always helped her relax. _'Still.'_ She fell back onto her bed and shut her eyes.

 _'I have a bad feeling about this.'_

* * *

Night had fallen over the capital. The typical noises of citizens going about their lives had long ceased once the sun had vanished behind the horizon. The streets, normally so crowded, were almost devoid of life aside from the occasional night owl or guard. Usually the streets would be loaded with guards, but it seemed the death of their captain had changed things.

There was one thing that everybody knew. No matter how much they tried to ignore it, the trash of the capital understood one thing.

Night Raid was on the prowl.

Unfortunately, Sosuke was unable to make anything else of his observations, as they had stopped on top of a shop's roof. For the past hour he had been forced to jump across the rooftops to keep up with the assassins, and now he was exhausted. The armored man, Bulat had offered to carry him, but he'd staunchly refused to be coddled, plus Leone had told him Bulat was gay, and he'd seen him hitting on Tatsumi.

Hands on his knees, he thanked whichever deity had been watching over him while Bulat outlined the plan. The group they were targeting was a family of nobles who regularly invited poor people to their mansion. Those who accepted their hospitality were never seen again, and it had become enough of a problem that the families of those who went missing had demanded they do something.

That, and they had been paid a hefty sum of gold in exchange for their services.

The plan was for Sheele and Leone to infiltrate the mansion while Bulat, Tatsumi, and Akame engaged the guards. Sosuke would be watched over by Mine and Lubbock until it was safe. He caught the unspoken words _'We don't trust you not to run.'_ He was still missing his swords and his armor, so he wouldn't be able to do anything anyway.

He simply nodded as the briefing finished, and they continued their trek until they had reached the mansion. The moment it came into view his eyes widened. _'It's_ _freaking huge!'_ he screamed mentally. The mansion would be more accurately described as a palace, as it was enormous. Wrought with iron and stone and several stories tall. It seemed as wide as the entire left wing of the market province, although he knew that was unlikely.

"How the hell can a family of four live here?" he wondered. Calling it excessive would be an understatement.

Next to him, Tatsumi rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "Good question."

Mine rolled her eyes at their expressions. Morons. Did they even remember that they were in the middle of an important mission? "Wake up!" They jumped at the sound of her voice. She fought the urge to roll her eyes again. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Focus on the mission," she snapped.

The 'Idiot Duo' as she'd dubbed them, hopped to attention, with Sosuke muttering under his breath. They were rapidly approaching their destination. Once they were close enough Leone charged ahead with Sheele close behind. Sosuke tried to follow their progress, but they soon vanished into the shadows. He thought about the family they were about to hit and grimaced.

He had seen the enormous pair of scissors that Sheele carried on her back, and he had no doubt that she knew how to use them. Combined with Leone's vicious fighting skills, he had no doubt they would successfully eliminate their targets.

Soon enough he heard yells, and guards began to pour out from from the mansion into the courtyard. From his spot in the trees with Mine and Lubbock, who he noticed was blending in nicely with the foliage, he saw Tatsumi charge after Bulat into the fray. The armored giant drew the massive spear from his back and stabbed through a guard like the man was made of wet paper.

Blood flew from the corpse as the giant withdrew his weapon and promptly sliced another man _in half_ before engaging the other guards. He could see Tatsumi's slender frame weaving between the guards, slashing with his sword. The country teen's black coat made him harder to see, and he used his superior speed and agility to slice and parry at the hapless guards, blood splattering in his wake.

Every now and then Sosuke was able to spot some _thing_ flicker past a guard, only for the man to fall shortly after, blood gushing from a wound. It took two guards to fall for him to realize Akame had joined the fight. He had to give it to her; the red eyed killer was lightning on the battlefield. Her foes only saw a black flash before they died, and that was if they were lucky.

As he watched them fight, Sosuke felt fear nibbling at him. He was confident in his abilities, that went without saying, but these people were monsters. He'd never seen a group of trained soldiers outnumber an enemy and still get annihilated with such ease. He now understood why Ogre had fallen so easily despite his reputation. Night Raid was fearsome.

The battle didn't last very long. Eventually every guard died until the only surviving man lost his nerve and ran for the forest that surrounded the estate. He only managed to get three steps before a thin beam of yellow energy speared him through the brain. Sosuke followed the trajectory of the blast to see Mine calmly lower her rifle. She had gotten a perfect headshot from at least several hundred feet away.

He whistled. Fearsome indeed.

The pinkette turned her attention to him. "You're up newbie," she gestured with her rifle towards the mansion. The trio were stood in the courtyard surrounded by their victims, waiting for him.

The teen wordlessly climbed down the tree and ran towards them, the gravel cracking with each step. Bulat shouldered his spear, and Sosuke could see droplets of blood falling off like water from a leaky faucet.

"You and Tatsumi are gonna go ahead to meet up with Leone," he ordered. " It looks like this family has a shed behind the mansion. Someone might be trying to hide." At his words, the trio nodded and Akame charged ahead, leaving the newer members in hot pursuit.

They circled right, around the mansion and sprinted towards the back. Once they cleared the wall, Sosuke saw a shed the size of a small house ahead. Akame simply increased her pace, forcing him to strain to keep up until they reached the blonde.

Akame reached her first, Tatsumi coming up behind her and Sosuke skidding to a halt behind them. Leone was standing right in front of a massive iron door, staring without a word. _'She looks different,'_ Sosuke noticed.

Her hair, which was normally short, had grown until it reached far down her back. Atop her head were what appeared to be cat ears somehow. Her hands had changed as well. They were covered in golden fur, and her nails had become long black claws.

He had no time to ask, because the blonde suddenly kicked the door, causing it to crumple inward. She turned towards him, and he paused when he noticed her slit pupils, as well as the long fang poking out from her upper lip as she frowned.

She pointed towards the shed with a claw. "This is what the boss was talking about. Welcome to the capital, kid," she said grimly. Sosuke nervously made his way inside the shed, only to freeze as his eyes beheld what was inside.

There were bodies everywhere. Hanging from the ceiling in chains, trapped in cages, or strapped down to tables, all mutilated or decayed beyond recognition. Each one bore slashes or burns of some kind. There was one man's corpse that had been torn in half, his face trapped in an unending picture of agony. He could see people whose eyes had been ripped out, some who had been forced onto spikes and left to die. He could see a woman's body strapped to a chair, spikes piercing her eyes and chest.

He was frozen until the stench hit him. His eyes watered as the cloying smell of death strangled his senses. Bile rose in his throat and he bent over, dry heaving all over the floor. He caught the edge of a nearby wall to steady himself, looking up before vomiting once more. He felt light headed. This couldn't be real. None of it. It had to be a nightmare.

Each breath he took burned. He closed his eyes, trying to will the vile images from his mind, but it was not to be. He heard someone struggling furiously beside him, and he opened his eyes to see Leone dragging a young girl out from behind the table where that man had been- he covered his mouth. He really didn't want to throw up again.

Leone's grip around the girl's neck tightened, cutting off her protests as she effortlessly lifted her into the air. In contrast the her victim's terrified blue stare, the blonde's eyes were cold. "This girl and her parents like to pretend to be charitable hosts to unsuspecting countrymen," she said quietly. "Once they arrive they drug them and bring them here so they can torture them to death for fun."

She threw the girl to the ground. The girl bounced roughly against the dirt, yelping at the pain. She looked like she was about to say something before a scream cut them off. Sosuke turned to see Tatsumi fall to his knees, staring at something in the shed.

"No," he said weakly. "It can't be . . . Sayo?" Eyes glistening with tears, Tatsumi ran further into the shed towards a young woman. She was chained to the ceiling by her wrists, hanging with the other corpses. She had long black hair that fell straight down her back, and he saw a flower shaped arrangement in it. Her body was covered in cuts and burns; the skin was dry and cracked, and many cuts were oozing blood.

The worst part of it was her leg, or lack thereof. Her right leg was gone, everything below her upper thigh was missing, a bloody stump being the only thing left. Sosuke felt sick, but he stood strong. He pushed himself off the wall with some difficulty, careful to avoid stepping in the pile of sick.

He watched Tatsumi slice through the chains keeping her suspended. She fell towards the ground before he caught her, dropping his sword in the process. He pressed himself into her hair, tears pouring from his eyes. "Sayo . . . Sayo . . . Sayo," he kept repeating her name like a mantra.

He couldn't watch this anymore. Sosuke switched his gaze to the girl, still laying on the ground. "How could you do something like this?" He demanded, eyes glinting angrily. This wasn't simply a crime, this was evil. Only a demon would be capable of such heinous acts.

The girl stared at him. "How could I?" She began pushing herself up to her feet. "How could I do something like this?" She repeated the words like they were part of a different language. She glared angrily at him. "Why shouldn't I do it?" She demanded, and Sosuke flinched.

"THESE PEOPLE ARE NOTHING BUT COUNTRY TRASH!" She screamed, her face morphing until it resembled a wild animal's. "THEY'RE JUST LIVESTOCK FOR ME TO PLAY WITH! WHY SHOULDN'T I BE ABLE TO TREAT A LESSER LIFE FORM HOWEVER I WANT TO?" Her voice changed pitch until she was shrieking insanely.

"BESIDES HOW DARE THAT GIRL HAVE SUCH STRAIGHT HAIR! I'M A NOBLE AND MY HAIR ALWAYS TROUBLES ME, BUT A FARM ANIMAL LIKE HER HAS SUPERIOR HAIR. I MADE SURE TO PAY HER SPECIAL ATTENTION FOR HER INSOLENCE. SHE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL I GAVE HER SO MUCH CARE! UNGRATEFUL BITCH!"

Her insane shrieks rose in pitch until he could no longer understand her. She began to laugh wildly, a hideous sound that seemed more fit for a harpy than a human.

She continued laughing until a sword burst through her chest in a spray of blood, piercing a rib and her heart. She gasped, arching painfully. The sword twisted inside her body, and she choked as blood welled up in her throat. It spilled out from her mouth as the blade was ripped out.

The vile girl collapsed forward, staining the earth with her blood. Above her stood Sosuke holding a sword he'd nicked off of a guard's corpse. His grey eyes blazed with rage. Twin stormclouds glaring down at the corpse before he buried the sword into her head.

The rage in his eyes slowly dissipated as he switched his gaze to his companions. Leone was silent, an eyebrows raised as she appraised him. Akame merely glanced at him before making her way inside the shed where Tatsumi still held Sayo to his chest, murmuring softly.

Leone could see the anger in Sosuke's eyes even after he'd stilled his features into a cold expression. He was clearly still upset over what he'd done, but he seemed to be ignoring it in favor of finishing the mission. _'Interesting,'_ she thought, quickly raking her eyes over him.

"She's still alive."

They both turned towards Akame, kneeling next to Tatsumi. His sword was back in it's sheathe, and he had thrown his coat over Sayo. Akame had a hand placed over the girl's chest. "I can feel her heartbeat. It's faint, but it's still there." He could see Tatsumi straighten up at her words. "You need to get her out of here, quickly," she explained quietly.

Determined, Tatsumi nodded, and began making his way towards the exit.

"T-Tatsumi?" A voice croaked out to Sosuke's right. "Is that you?"

Emerald eyes turned towards the voice and froze. Him too? "I-Ieyasu," Tatsumi stuttered.

He was trapped inside a cage, brown eyes wide. When Tatsumi had last seen him, he'd been vibrant and full of life. Instead, he looked thin, his skin was hanging off of him. The teen had his own scrapes and bruises, but his skin was covered in small red welts and spots.

Akame strode past the shaken Tatsumi, and in a single motion, withdrew her katana and slashed through the cage lock. She sheathed her blade and the door opened as Ieyasu leaned against it. He staggered, and would have fallen had Akame not caught him.

Her crimson eyes analyzed him for a second before she turned to Leone. "Lubora's disease," she announced. She turned towards the newer members. "The mistress of the house liked poisoning victims and writing down what happened in her journal."

She managed to deliver the news in such an emotionless voice that Sosuke wondered if she even cared. They way she spoke about it, it was as if she had seen this happen countless times.

He shivered. Had Akame seen even worse cases?

He train of thought was broken by Tatsumi. "So," he asked weakly. "Will he-"

She cut him off. "The disease hasn't advanced enough for him to die. But neither of them will survive unless we get them treatment immediately." She effortlessly hoisted the sick teen over her shoulder. "Let's get back to the others," she ordered.

Tatsumi said nothing, merely running out of the shed towards where he knew the others were waiting. Akame followed soon after, vanishing in a burst of speed, leaving Leone and Sosuke alone.

The girl clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go kid," she said quietly. Her hair whipped behind her as she sprinted off towards the others.

Sosuke nodded before looking at the shed one last time. He ran his eyes over everything, the corpses, the instruments of torture , and even the disgusting creature lying in the ground with a sword buried in her skull. He knew he should be going, but something kept him.

This place was evil. A disgusting monument built to embody all the worst traits in humanity. He hated it, and he had unknowingly strengthened the system that protected acts like this. All he had wanted to do was keep his mother safe, but he'd been a fool. First it had been Ogre the beloved captain of the guard. He had viewed the man as a model soldier, only to have his beliefs shattered when the brute had revealed his true nature. Now it was this family, torturing people to death because they thought it was fun. How far did the corruption of the minister go?

He clenched his fists. _'I've been a fool.'_ A snarl ripped it's way from his throat. He'd been manipulated his entire life. Monsters like these people were everywhere, and he had served them for years.

If this was the truth of the capital, then he would gladly tear it apart.

He followed Leone's path, footsteps echoing throughout his mind. _'I'm going to destroy this system,'_ he swore, increasing his speed as he saw the others clustered around the trees.

He saw Ieyasu still slung over Akame's shoulder and Sayo resting in Tatsumi's arms. They said nothing as he arrived, merely turning towards the forest and leaping through the trees towards Night Raid's hideout.

They vanished into the night, leaving the bloody palace in their wake.

As the shadows raced up his body and swallowed him completely, his face broke out into a grim smile. He had found his path.

* * *

Far away, standing perched on a rooftop, a hooded figure smiled viciously. It had been a long time since he'd been in the capital. He couldn't wait to see pops about his exploits, as well as the people he'd run into.

Unfortunately, he'd returned far ahead of schedule, so it looked like they wouldn't arrive for a few more weeks.

 _'Oh well,_ ' he thought with a shrug. _'More fun for me.'_

* * *

 _The darkness surrounded IT. As long as the place had existed, not a single speck of light had entered._

 _IT swam through the sea of shadow, feeling nothing, as IT always had._

 _There was a rumble, causing the ocean of black to shake. IT paused, before something like amusement rippled through IT. Apparently the maker had chosen._

 _IT opened it's mouth in a twisted chuckle, and the shadows danced around IT._

* * *

 **Shock! Sayo and Ieyasu live this time!**

 **You see, in this story Tatsumi arrived at the capital a week earlier, resulting in a much changed story line. That is only the first of many changes, as you can see.**

 **Tell me what you think with one of those review things!**


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